Send Money Overseas

Send Money to UK Cheaply

Information verified correct on December 10th, 2016

Check your options carefully when sending money from Australia to the UK.

Australia has a large immigrant population, with the majority of those immigrants coming from the UK. There are over a million citizens from the UK who have made their home in Australia, some of who still have family in the UK. For this reason, Australia is responsible for a large percentage of the money transfers send to the UK each year.

Compare money transfer options to the UK

Use the table below to compare transfer options to the UK. Sort through products using the headings at the top of the table, and if you’d like to find out more about a product, or register an account, click the ‘More’ or ‘Go to Site’ buttons respectively.

Rates last updated December 10th, 2016

Transfer amount

Sending from

ToSending to

Min. Transfer Amount

Transfer Speed

Services

Online Transfer Fee

Rate

Amount Received

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Case study: Banks vs money transfer companies

Karen, a teacher in the UK, has been offered a position at a prestigious Australian school. Since she will be returning home on holidays she would like to be able to maintain her flat while away. In order to do this, she knows she will need to send money to make her monthly mortgage repayments, utilities and maintenance. She decides first to find out if it would be easier and cheaper to do this with a bank or money transfer company.

Australian bank

Money transfer service

Exchange rate.

0.52 GBP for every 1 AUD

0.55 GBP for 1 AUD

Transfer fee.

$22 is charged to the sender for each transaction.

£7 (approx 13 AUD) is charged to the sender for this transaction.

Amount of GBP received for every $1,000 Australian dollars sent.

Karen will have 518.9 GBP to use towards her flat.

Karen will be able to send 545.38 GBP towards her mortgage repayment.

Options.

This is a bank account to bank account transfer.

This is also a bank account to bank account transfer.

Time for transfer to complete.

It generally takes two to four days for money to get to the UK bank account from Australia.

Transfers with this service take up to two days to reach the recipient.

Difference. There is a difference of 26.48 GBP if Karen were to choose the money transfer service option. Choosing the money transfer service would also see her funds get to her UK lender as many as two days faster.

How to compare transfer companies when transferring money to the UK

While looking into the options available for transferring money from Australia to the UK there are many things to consider:

Exchange rate. Karen’s situation illustrates the importance of not only looking at the exchange rate, but how it is applied to the amount of money you send. Small fractions of a difference will add up as you send more money over time.

Fees. These will vary from provider to provider and should be calculated into the difference from the exchange rate to get a clearer picture of where you will find most savings.

Turnaround time. For Karen – who is going to making regular payments – the turnaround time may not be important for regular repayments, but it will be if she needs to get the money their quickly to make a sudden repair on her flat.

Pick up options. This is a personal preference based on your circumstance, but there are some companies who offer bank deposits and cash pickups if those happen to change.

Customer service. Transferring money overseas does carry some risk. You want to ensure that the company you use has a policy in place that makes it easy for you to recover your money if something goes wrong with the transfer.

How to send money to the UK from Australia

You have a large range of companies and banks to choose from when trying to find a way to send money to the UK, as it’s a major money transfer destination. Compare the types of services they provide along with the rates and fees to find the one that is most suitable to your circumstance.

Money transfer services. These are non-bank money transfer services which can operate in a range of ways, including online and at kiosks. Some of these offer cash pickup services, like Western Union and MoneyGram, while others will only offer bank account to bank account transfers. Because of the large volume of international money transfers these companies carry out, they can offer competitive exchange rates, low fees, and a large range of more exotic currencies.

Banks. Many Australian banks will allow you to carry out transfers internationally. Most banks will offer regular transfers, and others will offer products which enable you to send money overseas, such as the Citibank Plus Account and the HSBC Multi-Currency Account.

Emergency cash transfers in the UK

Anything can happen when travelling outside of Australia and you could find yourself in sudden need of cash. If your property has been stolen you should first report it to the local police and obtain a police report. Then look into the following choices for getting a fast cash replacement:

Your Australian bank account. Many Australian banks have emergency services to get you cash and a replacement card if you happen to lose or have your wallet stolen.

Money transfer company. Even though you are in a foreign country, you are still able to pick up a cash transfer from Australia provided that you have photo identification.

Travel insurance. Many travel insurance policies offer a cash solution if your wallet or purse is stolen while travelling. Keep the police report to submit to the policyholder.

Cash pickup locations in the UK

You will find below a number of locations for Western Union and MoneyGram agents where you can go to pick up a cash transfer in the UK. Before heading there give a call to double check their store hours. You will need to bring with you a photo identification and details of the cash transfer.

Tips for picking up cash in the UK

Although the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade does not list the UK a destination where no more than normal safety precautions need to be taken, you should always take security precautions when picking up cash. Have a trusted friend accompany you to the agency and secure the cash afterwards in your hotel safe or deposit it into your account before heading out.

How to send money to the UK

You have a variety of ways in which you can send money from Australia to the UK. If the cash transfer service is the best choice for you make sure that you are able to meet the following:

Recipient name. For cash pickups it is important that the full name that appears on the recipients identification is the same as the name you give the agency.

Transfer amount. The person who is picking up the money will be asked how much has been sent as a security measure.

Tracking number. Your recipient will also have to provide a tracking number.

Your details. For further security, they may be asked for your name and contact information.

After passing on the tracking number to the person who will be picking up the cash, make sure that you save that paperwork. This will be used in the event that the funds are lost and you need to recover them.

You have many things to consider when trying to find the right company or bank to send your money from Australia to the UK. Look at all of the features offered carefully to make sure that not only are your needs being met, but that you are getting the most value for your Australian dollar.

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Important Information

finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, we may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.